







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | |
| Let me check, we only need butter. | |
| Oh, sorry, I didn't know I wasn't allowed to order what I want! | |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | |
| What is it about? | |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | |
| I think Diego and I are the only smokers in the house. | |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | |
| I can't call him at the moment because his phone is unreachable. | |
| Sorry, I forgot to tell you, you need to turn the tap on very gently. | |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | |
| How long does the flight usually take? | |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | |
| Do you know the pub around the corner? | |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | |
| I don't like smoking in the kitchen. | |
| It's very difficult for me to go there more than once a year. | |
| How often do you have free time, then? | |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | |